Apparatus for forming a roll of fabric continuously with the knitting thereof

ABSTRACT

MECHANISM FOR WINDING A FLATTENED KNITTED TUBE, AS IT IS DELIVERED BY THE KNITTING MACHINE, INTO A ROLL OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DENSITY, THE MECHANISM INCLUDING A DRIVING ROLL, A SHAFTED CORE ON WHICH THE FABRIC IS WOUND, ROLLERS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON THE ENDS OF THE CORE SHAFT, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL RAILS FOR SUPPORTING THE ROLLERS FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG AND MEANS TO MAINTAIN A SURFACE LAYER OF FABRIC ON THE CORE AGAINST THE DRIVING ROLL WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM PRESSURE AS THE LAYERS OF FABRIC BUILD UP ON THE CORE.

March 2, 1971 v. A. IANNUCCI 3,566,622

APPARATUS FOR FORMING A ROLL OF FABRIC CONTINUOUSLY WITH THE KNITTINGTHEREOF Filed Dec. 16, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 nil! L/i I -a| 2 APPARATUSFOR FORMING A ROLL 0F FABRIC CONTINUOUSLY WITH THE KNITTING THEREQF.

d D l6, 9 8 F119 8 1 6 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l v I Q v. A. lAN-NUCCI 566 622March 197] APPARATUS mm. FORMING A' ROLL OF FABRIC CONTINUOUSL! WITH THEKNITTING THEREQF Filed Dec. 16, 1968 w 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 2, v1971APPARATUS FOR FORMING AROLL 0F FABR IC Filed Dec. 16, 1968 A v. A.lANNuccl 6 ,622

QONTINUOUSLY WITH THE KNITTING THEREOF- 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WW! 15F UnitedStates Patent 3,566,622 APPARATUS FOR FORMING A ROLL OF FABRICCONTINUOUSLY WITH THE KNITTING THEREOF Vincent A. Iannucci, LincolnPark, and Ronald S. Schartel, Whitfield, Pa., assignors to NorthAmerican Rockwell Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Filed Dec. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 783,992 Int. Cl. D04b 15/88 US. Cl. 66-151Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Mechanism for winding a flattenedknitted tube, as it is delivered by the knitting machine, into a roll ofsubstantially uniform density, the mechanism including a driving roll, ashafted core on which the fabric is wound, rollers mounted for rotationon the ends of the core shaft, substantially horizontal rails forsupporting the rollers for movement therealong and means to maintain asurface layer of fabric on the core against the driving roll with asubstantially uniform pressure as the layers of fabric build up on thecore.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For certain treatments of knitted fabric itis highly desirable that the fabric be collected in a relatively looseroll of substantially uniform density directly as it is produced by theknitting instrumentality such as a circular knitting machine. An exampleof such treatments is found in the so-called knit-deknit process ofproducing crinkled yarn. In such process a stationary cylinder typecircular knitting machine is preferably employed to produce a fabrictube from a heat, settable yarn such as a polymedic yarn as for examplenylon, Orlon or Dacron or other synthetic yarns as for example phenolicand acrylic resin yarns and yarns composed of organic derivatives ofcellulose. After the knitted fabric tube is formed the fabric is heatset and then unraveled or deknit. While the heat setting operation maybe performed continuously with the production of the fabric as disclosedin the prior US. patent of Soussloff et al. No. 3,333,441, issued Aug.1, 1967, in some instances it is preferred to first collect the fabricin the form of a roll and thereafter subject the roll of fabric to theheat treatment in an autoclave. In order to secure uniform heat settingthe convolutions of the roll must be sufficiently loose to permitshrinkage and also the roll must be of substantially uniform densitythroughout.

Heretofore in the collection of the knitted fabric in rolls for theknit-deknit process, normally reels have been employed which are drivenat an rpm. uniformly related to the rate of production of the fabric.With the use of such apparatus a continuous increase in the tension ofthe knitted fabric is inherent as the diameter of the roll builds upresulting in a non-uniform compaction of the fabric of the roll. It hasalso been proposed to collect the fabric on a rotatable core carried bypivotally mounted arms whereby the core and fabric thereon arepositioned to at least partially overlie a drive roll adapted forfrictional contact with the fabric. With this construction as the fabricbuilds up on the core the weight of the roll being formed necessarilyincreases with the resultant increase in the compaction of the fabric.

The instant invention has for its principal object the provision ofmeans for collecting the fabric in the form of a cored roll throughsurface contact of the fabric on the core with a drive roll thearrangement being such that neither the increased weight of the roll asit builds up nor other factors have any appreciable effect on the icerelative pressure between the fabric and the drive roll the latterremaining substantially uniform.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described an apparatus in accordancewith the instant invention comprises a fabric collecting meansassociated with a knitting head the fabric collecting means comprising acore on which the fabric is wound, and a drive roll or the like adaptedto rotate the core and bobbin thereon by frictional contact with theouter winding of the fabric. The driving roll is in a relatively fixedposition and the core is mounted for traveling movement away from thedrive roll along a substantially horizontal path as the diameter of thefabric on the core increases. The core with the fabric thereon ismaintained in surface contact with the drive roll under substantiallyuniform pressure by suitable means such as extending lever armspivotally mounted at positions remote from the core the lever arms beingadapted to bias the core toward the drive roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofan apparatus including multiple knitting heads and a fabric collectingmeans for each head constructed in accordance with the instantinvention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 33 ofFIG. 1 with parts broken out for clearness of illustration; and

FIG. 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of a portion of theapparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawingsand particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is disclosed an apparatusparticularly adapted for the production and collection of flattenedtubes of knitted fabric of the type which is to be heat set and thenunravelled or deknit to produce crinkled yarn. For this purpose and aspreviously stated the yarn may be a linear polymede or other type ofthermoplastic yarn such as vinyl or acrylic resin yarn or a yarncomposed of an organic derivative of cellulose or the like.

The apparatus preferably comprises a plurality of knitting heads 10supported by a frame indicated generally at 11, means indicatedgenerally at 12 for drawing off the fabric of each head as the fabric isknit and means indicated generally at 13 for collecting the fabric ofeach head in the form of a roll said last named means incorporating theimprovements of the instant invention. While the knitting heads may beof any suitable construction they are preferably of the type shown anddescribed in the co-pending application of Moyer et al. Ser. No.515,555, filed Dec. 22, 1965, now Pat. No. 3,421,344, issued Jan. 14,1969. In any event each knitting head includes a stationary needlecylinder, needles mounted therein for reciprocation through a knittingwave, and a cam cylinder mounted for rotation about the needle cylinderand carrying the cams carried to cause the needles to move through theirknitting motions, none of said known parts being shown a detail. Eachknitting head is preferably driven by an individual motor (not shown).The apparatus illustrated incorporates four of the knitting heads in tworows the heads being supported in elevated positions on the frame 11. Aswill be understood the rows may contain a greater or lesser number ofheads as desired.

A yarn rack indicated generally at 14 is supported from the frame 11above the knitting heads the yarn rack having a double row of pirnholders 15 on which yarn pirns 16 are carried there being one or morepirns for each knitting head. Each pirn provides the yarn supply for ayarn feed finger (not shown) of its associated knitting head the yarnbeing drawn through guides 17 by a feed roll 18 of any suitable type.The yarn leads from the feed roll through a guide 20 to the yarn feedmeans (not shown) of the knitting head.

A fabric spreader 21 suitably of the type illustrated in Pat. No.3,333,441, previously referred to, is preferably provided in the path ofthe fabric below each knitting head, the spreader being inserted withinthe fabric tube and serving to spread the fabric and form a flattenedtube thereof. Fabric take-off 12 may be of any suitable or conventionaltype but preferably is of the construction illustrated in said Pat. No.3,333,441 in which one of the rolls between which the fabric is confinedis positively driven at a surface speed somewhat in excess of the rateof fabric production with the result that slippage occurs between thedriven roll and the fabric.

In accordance with the instant invention the flattened fabric tube as itis delivered by the take-off means 12 of each knitting head is collectedin the form of a roll 22 by an associated collector means 13, previouslymentioned, individual to that head. Each collector means (seeparticularly FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) includes a cylindrical core 23 having alength somewhat in excess of the width of the flattened tube which is tobe wound thereon. The core is of the type conventionally employed forthe formation of fabric rolls and includes suitable means (not shown)for releasably attaching the end of the fabric thereto. A shaft 24extends axially of the core and is fixed thereto for rotation therewith.Rollers 26 are mounted for rotation on extending ends of the shaft inanti-friction bearings of any suitable type, the positions of therollers being fixed axially of the shaft by sleeves 27 and snap rings orother conventional means 30. Rollers 26 ride on horizontal tracks 31formed by the upper edges of brackets 32 the brackets being supported infixed position on the machine frame (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The tracks 31are provided with upwardly extending flanges 33 to confine the paths ofmovement of the rollers.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3 a common drive roll 34 for theseveral fabric collecting means is carried by a shaft 35 mounted forrotation in suitable bearings, one being shown at 36 in FIG. 1,supported by the machine frame. Drive roll 34 is provided with a cork orother friction surface for driving contact with the fabric to be woundon the cores. Shaft 35 and hence drive roll 34 is driven in acounterclockwise direction, as

viewed in FIG. 2, by a motor 37 through a gear reduction unit 38 havingan output shaft 40 carrying a sprocket 41, a sprocket 42 secured to anextending end of shaft 35 and a sprocket chain 43. The motor andsprocket chain also serves to drive the driven rolls of the draw-offmeans 12 for the several knitting heads. Thus the driven rolls of thedraw-offs on the opposite sides of the machine are carried by commonshafts 44 and 45 respectively the shafts being supported in suitablebearings in the framework of the machine, the two shafts carryingsprockets 46 and 47, respectively. Sprocket chain 43 leads from sprocket41 around an idler sprocket 50 supported for rotation on a stub shaft 51projecting from the machine frame and from thence around sprockets 46and 47 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the sprocketchain, sprockets and other elements of the driving mechanism arepreferably enclosed within a housing 48.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4 means are provided forbiasing the core of each fabric collecting means toward drive roll 34 tomaintain the outer surface of the roll of fabric on the core infrictional contact with the drive roll under substantially uniformpressure as the roll of fabric builds up. This means comprises a pair ofarms 52 positioned to have their upper ends projecting past and inalignment with collars 27 on shaft ends 25. The lower ends of the armsare affixed to a bracket 54 the bracket having a bearing sleeve 55 inwhich is received a horizontal shaft 56. The projecting ends of shaft 56are secured in fixed positions in brackets 32, as by set screws 57.Shaft 56 extends at right angles to tracks 31 and its center line liesin the vertical plane of the halfway point of travel of shaft 24 alongthe tracks as the roll of fabric builds up from its initial turn on thecore to a fully wound roll of the largest desired diameter. Bearingsleeve 55 which is dimensioned for free rotation or rocking movement onshaft 56 is confined against longitudinal shifting movement on the shaftby collars 60 secured to the shaft as by set screws 61. The upper endsof arm 52 are preferably recessed or cut back to define edge portions 62for contact with the collars 27 on shaft 25.

A rod or lever arm 63 projects from the bearing sleeve in a directiondiametrically opposite to that of arms 52, a threaded end of the rodbeing received in a threaded opening in a boss 64 and secured inadjusted position therein by a lock nut 65. Rod 63 carries a counterbalance weight 66 bored to receive the rod. The weight is adapted to besecured in any adjusted position on the rod by a set screw 69.

A second rod or lever arm 67 similarly has an end threadably received ina threaded opening of a boss 68 projecting from bearing sleeve 55 atright angles to boss 64, rods 67 and 63 hence also projecting at rightangles to each other. Rod 67 is adapted to carry a weight 70 bored toreceive the rod, the weight being securable in any adjusted position onthe rod by a set screw 74.

The lengths of arms 52 and of rods 63 and 67 and the masses of saidparts and of the associated elements including bracket 54 and weight 66in its adjusted position on rod 63 are such that, with weight 70 removedfrom rod 67, the system is in equilibrium, that is in the absence of anoutside force arms 52 will remain in any position to which they arerotated. The distance between shaft 56 and the collar contacting edgeportions 62 bears such relationship to the distance that the portions 62travel during the build up of the fabric roll from the bare core 23 to afully wound roll that the angular movement of the arms is relativelysmall and preferably does not exceed thirty degrees.

As illustrated particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4 a latch lever 71 issuitably pivotally mounted as at 72 on a rod 73 projecting inwardly fromone of the brackets 32 (the right-hand bracket as illustrated in FIG. 4)the latch lever having an abutment surface 75 adapted to bear againstthe inner wall of bracket 54 and maintain arms 52 in outer rotatedpositions when for example the particular knitting head served by afabric collecting means is idle. By manually rotating the latch 71 in acounterclockwise direction from its position as illustrated in FIG. 3the arms are freed for operation. Where desired a switch means 76 (seeFIG. 4) forming a part of an electrical circuit (not shown) controllingany suitable or conventional stop motion for the knitting head, orcontrolling the operation of a visual signal, may be mounted on one ofthe brackets 32 in position to be closed by shaft end 25 when the fabricrolls have reached the desired diameter.

In the operation of the apparatus described above the knitting heads, ora selected one or more of the knitting heads, are operated to knitsuflicient fabric to reach their respective cores 23 the end of each ofsuch fabrics being then secured to its associated core in any suitablemanner. Latches 71 associated with the active knitting heads are thenreleased permitting arms 52 under the influence of weights 70, to swingin a direction, counterclockwise for the right-hand units and clockwisefor the left-hand units as viewed in FIG. 3, to bring the cores intocontact with drive roll 34, rollers 26 supporting the shaft ends of thecores rolling freely on horizontal tracks 31. Operation of the knittingheads is then resumed and as it continues additional fabric is producedand delivered to the collecting devices by draw-off means 12, the cores23 and fabric thereon being rotated by the frictional contact of driveroll 34 with the fabric. The rolls of fabric move away from the driveroll 34 as the fabric builds up, the sole resistance to such movement,except for an immaterial frictional resistance, being the bias providedby weights 70 on their respective lever rods 67. Such bias is maintainedrelatively constant inasmuch as the effective lengths of the lever armsassociated with the weights are varied only to the extent effected bythe movement of the weights through one-half their arc of travel. Aswill be noted the increased weight of the roll as it is built up has noappreciable effect on the pressure of the fabric roll against the driveroll 34 such pressure being controlled solely by weight 70 and itsposition on its associated lever arm, the latter being adjusted asdesired to insure the required frictional contact between the cloth rolland the driving roll and the desired tension on the fabric. Suitablydrive roll 34 is driven at a surface speed somewhat greater than therate of production of the fabric, similarly as the driven rolls of thetake-off 12, whereby continuous slippage of the roll on the fabricoccurs.

Having thus described the invention in rather complete detail it will beunderstood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and thatvarious changes and modifications may be made all falling within thescope of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus comprising a knitting head for converting yarn into aknitted fabric and means for collecting said fabric in the form of aroll, the improvement wherein said means for collecting said fabriccomprises a core on which said fabric is wound, means in fixed positionrelatively to said core for rotating said core through frictionalcontact with an outer winding of fabric thereon, means supporting saidcore for movement away from said rotating means in a substantiallyhorizontal plane as the diameter of the wound fabric on said coreincreases, and means for maintaining said rotating means in contact withthe fabric on said core with a substantially uniform pressure duringsaid increase in the diameter of the wound fabric, said means formaintaining said rotating means in contact with said fabric comprisinglever arms having portions in contact with said core, means pivotallysupporting said lever arms at points remote from said portions, meanscounterbalancing said lever arms whereby in the absence of added biasingmeans said lever arms will substantially remain in any rotated position,and means biasing said lever arms to swing in a direction to urge saidcore toward said rotating means.

2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means biasing saidlever arms comprises a projecting lever arm associated with said firstmentioned lever arms for angular movement therewith and there is meansfor biasing said projecting lever arm.

3. In an apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said projecting leverarm extends at substantially right angles to said first mentioned leverarms.

4. In an apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said arms are subjectedto a swinging movement through an arc, as the fabric winds up on saidcore from a minimum to a maximum number of turns thereon, and whereinsaid means pivotally supporting said lever arms lies in substantiallythe vertical plane of the mid point of said swinging movement.

5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for biasingsaid projecting lever arm comprises weight means adjustably mounted onsaid projecting lever arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 186,256 l/l877 Jones 242 421,1472/1890 Scott et al. 66'149X 519,669 5/1894 Dill 24265 790,770 5/1905Wildman 66l5lX 1,039,989 10/1912 Morley 66153X 1,285,706 11/1918 Hoe24265 2,984,427 5/ 1961 Rockstrom 242-65 3,191,883 6/1965 Wells 24265X3,258,217 6/1966 MacArthur et al. 24265 WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, PrimaryExaminer US. Cl. X.R. 24265 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No. 3,566,622 Dated March 2, 1971 Inventor) Vincent A.lannuccl et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 61, "carried" should read required line 63, "a" shouldreadin Signed and sealed this 14th day of September 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. E T TT$CII1ILK Attesting Offi ActlngCOIIlIIllSSlOI'lGI of Pate

